Football mourns death of 'Gentle Giant'

A minute's silence was observed at Manchester United's Premiership match with Leeds at Old Trafford this afternon in honour of the Yorkshire club's former player John Charles, who has died at the age of 72.

A minute's silence was observed at Manchester United's Premiership match with Leeds at Old Trafford this afternon in honour of the Yorkshire club's former player John Charles, who has died at the age of 72.

The Wales, Juventus and Leeds legend, known during his playing career as 'the Gentle Giant', passed away in the early hours of today in a Wakefield hospital.

It was while promoting his biography in Milan on January 7 that Charles collapsed before a TV show with a heart attack.

He battled against the subsequent blood and liver complications and part of his right foot had to be amputated.

Juventus paid the costs of around £14,000 when Charles and his wife Glenda were accompanied by two doctors and a nurse on the flight home to Yorkshire last Saturday.

Charles, whose record of 42 league goals in a season for Leeds still stands as a club record, scored 93 goals in 155 matches for Juventus and achieved the notable feat of never being booked or sent off throughout his career.

He also played for Roma and Cardiff, and was equally at home at centre-half or centre-forward, even though it was for his goalscoring which he found fame.

Awarded the CBE in 2001, he won 38 caps for Wales and scored 15 goals. He played in the last Wales team to qualify for the World Cup, when he starred at the 1958 finals.

Charles once lived in a sprawling 17th century villa, perched on a hillside above the River Po. He kept a vintage wine cellar, part-owned a restaurant, drove sleek sports cars and socialised with film stars.

To many the former Leeds United star was the greatest British footballer of his era, indisputably the greatest Welshman ever to have pulled on a pair of soccer boots and easily the most successful British soccer export - and that includes David Beckham.

Financial security having eluded him, he lived out his last years in a modest semi-detached house in Birkenshaw, on the outskirts of Leeds, with his second wife, leading a life far removed from the millionaire world of even averagely talented Premiership players.

He battled courageously against cancer and the onset of Alzheimer's disease was evident, but there was never a trace of envy or bitterness.

"When I played I earned £20 a week, though the bonuses were good in Italy. I once earned a £500 bonus at Juventus.

"But really we played just because we wanted to play. If you are grumbling about money all the time it has got to distract a player, it has got to affect his form."